The US auto maker General Motors has announced that it will keep all four plants of its European subsidiary Opel in Germany, but may shed 9,500 jobs in Europe as part of its restructuring.

While talking to reporters, the head of GM's European operations Nick Reilly confirmed that the state premier of Thuringia in eastern Germany Christine Lieberknecht that Opel's Eisenach facility in her state will remain open.

Further he said, "Opel needs to restructure the company and to reduce its capacity by 20 per cent to make it profitable again and to remain globally competitive."

He also pointed out that the company plans to cut around 9,000 and 9,500 jobs from its ongoing European workforce of around 45,000.

Opel and Vauxhall have plants in Spain, Belgium, Britain and Poland, and about 25,000 of its European employees are based in Germany. However, Vauxhall has around 5,500 workers working in two plants in Britain.

While talking to reporters after having talks with Lieberknecht at Opel's main German plant in Ruesselsheim, Reilly said," Eisenach is a highly efficient plant and we want to keep it as an important resource for Opel."